[FancyZones] Choose apps to open up for a specific layout

[mitroo]

Hi all,

It would be great to choose what apps to show up on startup within a specific layout using FancyZones. For example, I have a setup of two displays and three virtual desktops and I need to open my apps and reposition them on the screen each time I boot-up my system.

[TestUser013]

Hi All,
I would like to duplicate my ideas from the closed issue #813

I would like to have rules for automatic moving windows in to zones. The rules for automatic moving can be applied based on process name (and/or window title, etc). The rules can be applied when window is opened or by shortcut. The rules can be disabled/enabled. The layout should support import/export with all rules.
Here is possible UI : https://i.imgur.com/bj98DJM.png

[vertigo220]

As I mentioned in #813, I don't agree these are the same issue, but I'll leave my input regarding that issue here since that one was closed. I agree with @TestUser013 that such a feature would be helpful. It would make FZ more of a true window manager. My main use for something like FZ or a window manager is due to Windows' poor handling of resolution changes. Whenever it changes then changes back, everything is completely messed up and it's a royal PITA fixing it all. Having something that not only can be used to define rules for what goes where (and ideally be able to tell it to apply the rule used on app 1 with apps 2, 3, 4, etc) but to also snapshot window positions before and restore them after a resolution change would be extremely helpful.

There are window managers that can take snapshot and restore layouts, but they're all manual; nothing seems to automate it. So not only do you have to manually apply the layout to fix it after the resolution returns to normal, but any changes made between the last snapshot and when the resolution changed are lost, and while it will work well for programs that have one window, multi-window apps like file explorer, which can have windows all over, won't be handled well, if at all. This is an area of Windows in desperate need of a fix and one that FZ could help a lot in.

[hanzelkatomas]

I agree this would be big productivity boost. Just launch fancy zones and all the preseted apps would launch with that. With more virtual desktops this would so great, because I spend a lot of time with setting up app's window size everytime I start up PC.

[objecttothis]

#30936 is not a complete duplicate of this ticket. This ticket is describing automatic startup of an app group on Windows start, but I suggested users being able to trigger the group app start. Users won't always want every app group to start up on Windows start. Think of how they will use it. If a user has "game", "c# dev" and "php dev" app groups, they aren't going to want all of them every startup.

Currently this can be done by creating a batch file with the locations to the executables and then make a link to that batch file. #30936 is suggesting the business logic and UI to make that happen.